Charity Run/Walk

Start Time: 1130
Meet in the Westin Hotel Lobby at 1030 to catch the bus

Proceeds to be given to: Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation

EPOCC’s First “Blood Sweat and Tears Charity Run/Walk” Raises $2,250

The Educating the Public On Clinical Chemistry (EPOCC) committee and the Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists (CSCC) teamed up for CSCC’s first ever charity run on June 6, 2014 in Charlottetown, PEI to raise money for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation. The 5 km Blood Sweat and Tears CSCC Charity Walk and Run coincided with CSCC’s 58th Annual conference and raised $2, 250.00 for the QEH Foundation which will be used within the provincial Laboratory. “We exist to support the QEH Family with the purchase of up-to-date medical equipment and technologies,” said QEH Foundation Community Relations Officer MaryEllen Hughes at the race. “We currently have two lab coagulation instruments we are trying to raise money for.” Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation confirmed the proceeds raised during the charity run went directly toward the purchase of the two new coagulation instruments. With the QEH being Prince Edward Island’s main referral hospital, Hughes says QEH can’t thank CSCC enough for its support. “Everybody needs the hospital. No matter what. Everyone is going to need the QEH at some point in their lives, especially the lab for diagnostics. Everybody came together to make this happen and it’s really great.” EPOCC member and Chair of the organizing committee for the charity race Allison Venner says EPOCC looks for initiatives to give back to the community when CSCC visits a city. “The race was one of the ideas that came up. Not only can we have CSCC members participate but over the years, we can gradually increase the number of local community members running or walking with us. We are looking for ways to expose our profession and this was a good way to do that.” The race had 28 participants and 23 volunteers including the organizing committee: Valerie Robinson, Ron Booth, Nathalie Lepage, Andrew Lyon, Curtis Oleschuk and Allison Venner. The Running Room and Ready2Race also offered support along with generous sponsors Sysmex, Siemens and Roche. “We had a nice mix of people step in and participate which was great,” says Venner, adding the first race was a success. “We couldn’t have asked for a better day!” Plans have already begun for the second Blood Sweat and Tears Charity Walk and Run in Montreal in 2015.